On my last day in Musanze, I had coffee at Crema Café before hitting the road. While savoring some cappuccino, I had a conversation with Prince Kamari, one of the two founders of the business.
Prince informed me that he co-founded Crema Café with a friend, namely Adrian Miller, in October 2017. The strategically located outlet attracts travelers traversing the Kigali - Rubavu highway and tourists visiting Volcanoes National Park, the Twin Lakes, and a myriad of other attractions. Being at the adjoining point of the roads that connect Musanze to the neighboring countries of Uganda and the DRC is an added advantage.
It takes a substantial amount of money to set up a coffee shop. The two aspiring entrepreneurs, fresh from their high school classrooms, had nothing but determination when the idea was conceived. They turned to Indiegogo, an American crowdfunding platform, for financing. Their unconventional acquisition of capital worked, thanks to their deep connections in North America. Since Indiegogo requires the beneficiaries to send gifts to their donors, a lot of work was done to create requires items.
Prince is encouraging the new generation of Rwandans to embrace the coffee-drinking culture. By consuming locally grown coffee, we empower farmers and contribute to the socio-economic transformation of rural communities.